Networking systems, protocols, and methods for controlling target devices

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for controlling electric and electronic devices. The devices may communicate with each other in a many-to-many, peer-to-peer network to provide control functionality without the need for a central controller. Device-to-device control messages may be implemented over short range, wireless broadcast messages.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/636,852, filed Mar. 3, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/947,122, filed Mar. 3, 2014,bearing Attorney Docket No. SVC0001USP1, U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/017,961, filed Jun. 27, 2014, bearing AttorneyDocket No. SVC0001USP2, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/086,975, filed Dec. 3, 2014, bearing Attorney Docket No. SVC0001USP3,each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

In most homes and buildings, turning on and off lights, lamps, or otherdevices is accomplished by toggling a switch that is wired into thebuilding's electrical system. This paradigm requires the location of thelighting, fixtures, switches, and devices to be based on the location ofthe physical wires installed by licensed electricians, typically duringinitial construction. If there is a desire to relocate or any of thedevices or to alter how the devices are controlled, there is nopractical means to do so without moving and/or running additional fixedpower wires.

The difficulties associated with adding on to or altering a structure'selectrical system presents a number of inconveniences and costs to thebuilding occupant. First, the locations of the fixtures and switches areestablished by the builder, not the occupant. Over time, usage changesand successive occupants need different configurations other than thoseenvisioned by the builder. Second, moving fixtures and wiring is costlyand disruptive. It requires construction professionals to relocate wiresby tearing into walls and ceilings and then repairing and repaintingentire rooms in order to mask the changes.

SUMMARY

While the power source for lighting, fixtures and other devices must bebuilt into the walls, embodiments disclosed herein enable the switchingfunction and the switches to be freed from fixed, high-voltage wiring.The inventive systems, methods, and protocols enable lighting and otherelectric and electronic devices to be controlled by battery-powered,radio-controlled switches, computers, and mobile smart phones.

Accordingly, networking systems, methods, and protocols are provided forcontrolling target devices. The protocols facilitate peer-to-peercommunication between many low cost devices over a wireless network,enabling many-to-many control relationships while obviating the need fora central controller to supervise, control, or create the communicationsnetwork.

According to some embodiments, the network systems may include threeprimary types of devices: initialization and control devices forconfiguring and controlling the network devices; adaptors for receiving,implementing, and rebroadcasting commands received over the network; andswitches for sensing user input and communicating control commands tothe adaptors. Generally speaking, the initialization and control devicesmay be used to teach the adaptors and switches their prescribed roles inthe network system. Once taught, the adaptors and switches maycommunicate directly with each other in peer-to-peer fashion with orwithout the presence of a central controller.

A network system may further include a bridge device that can providethe system with remote interface capability without the need for acentral controller node. The bridge device may be configured as anetwork component of the network system that provides an interface foraccessing and operating the other configured network components. In someembodiments, the bridge device may be implemented as a radio devicecapable of communicating with the various other devices of the networksystem that may be in communication with a remote server via anInternet-connected device. In other embodiments, the bridge device maybe configured as a bridge component that connects directly to theInternet for communication with the remote server. The bridge device mayalso be implemented in software or firmware resident on another deviceof the network system, such as an adaptor or switch, for example. Accessto the interface of the bridge device for control of the network systemmay then be attained through connection to the remote server from anyInternet-connected electronic device.

Methods for initializing and operating electric and electronic devicesover the network are disclosed. The methods may involve providing anetwork system having one or more initialization and control devices,adaptors, switches, and electric devices. The methods may furtherinclude an initialization step, during which the initialization devicemay teach the adaptors and switches their respective roles within thenetwork system. Initialization may include defining, for each switch andadaptor, its address, which devices to respond to, its schedules, andother behaviors. The methods may further include an operation step inwhich the switches and adaptors may communicate autonomously with orwithout the presence of a central controller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects and advantages of the invention will becomemore apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description,taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a network system for controllingtarget devices, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a controlled device, in accordance withsome embodiments;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of an adaptor, in accordance with someembodiments;

FIGS. 4A-4C show various cross-sectional and elevation views of anillustrative network switch, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 5-8 show pictorial representations of various network systemmodes, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for implementing ateaching mode of a network system, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for operating anetwork system, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for operating anetwork system using a bridge, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 12 shows a high-level schematic diagram for providing a softwaresynchronous clock, in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process for providing asoftware synchronous clock, in accordance with some embodiment; and

FIG. 14 depicts a schematic diagram of a network system for improvingthe comfort and efficiency of a HVAC system, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Network systems, protocols, and methods are provided for controllingelectric and electronic devices. The benefits of freeing the switchesfrom the fixed wiring in a building's electrical system are manifold.For example, the switches may be easily relocated according to changesin furniture arrangements, room usage patterns, and occupant preferenceswhile reducing or avoiding wiring and rewiring costs and disruptions.Further, electric and electronic devices, such as lighting and fixtures,may be controlled from multiple locations and multiple controllers.Changing how the electric and electronic devices are controlled may alsobe accomplished without altering the building's fixed wiring plan.

The disclosed protocols and methods may be used to easily implement anetwork system for controlling a variety of electric and electronicdevices. For example, the network system may control lighting fixtures,household appliances (e.g., dishwashers, ranges, washing machines,dryers, thermostats, air conditioning units, sump pumps, andelectrically operated heaters and fireplaces), entertainment andproductivity devices (e.g., televisions, media players, computers, andaudio systems), security devices (e.g., alarm systems and videosurveillance equipment), and/or any other type of electrically operateddevice or appliance. Such devices and appliances may be referred toherein as “target devices.” A target device coupled to an adaptor may bereferred to herein as a “controlled device.”

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of network system 100 for controllingtarget devices, in accordance with some embodiments. Network system 100may include one or more initialization/control (“I/C”) devices 110,switches 120, controlled devices 130, and bridges 160. Network system100 may be installed in any suitable fixed or moveable structure, suchas a residential or commercial building, a tent, or a trailer, forexample. I/C devices 110, switches 120, adaptors, which may be part ofcontrolled devices 130, and bridges 160 may be referred to herein as“network components.”

According to some embodiments, I/C devices 110 may serve dual functionsin network system 100. First, I/C devices 110 may be used to configureall of the components of network system 100 (e.g., switches 120,adaptors in controlled devices 130, bridges 160, and other I/C devices110). Configuration of these system components is described in detailbelow with respect to FIGS. 5 and 9. Generally speaking, however, a usermay interact with computer programs running on one or more of I/Cdevices 110 to define desired system functionality, such as definingwhich switches 120 control which controlled devices 130, definingautomatically scheduled behaviors for controlled devices 130, and so on.

Second, I/C devices 110 may be used as system controllers forcontrolling all or a subset of the various system components.Accordingly, a user interacting with a computer program installed on I/Cdevices 110 may be able to control individual switches 120 and/orindividual controlled devices 130. In some embodiments, a user mayinteract with a user interface provided by the computer program to sendcommands to selected switches 120 and/or individual controlled devices130. I/C devices 110 may facilitate control of various control functionsas appropriate for the type of controlled device or devices present innetwork system 100.

Examples of electronic devices that may be used as I/C devices 110 mayinclude any suitable type of electronic device operative to communicatewith switches 120 and controlled devices 130. For example, I/C devices110 can include digital media players, cellular telephones, smartphones,pocket-sized personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs),tablets, desktop computers, laptop computers, and/or any other suitableelectronic device.

Communication between I/C devices 110 and switches 120 and/or controlleddevices 130 may be implemented over the protocols described hereinand/or over any other suitable wired or wireless interface, such as viaWi-Fi® (e.g., a 802.11 protocol), Ethernet, Bluetooth®, radio frequencysystems (e.g., 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems),cellular networks (e.g., GSM, AMPS, GPRS, CDMA, EV-DO, EDGE, 3GSM, DECT,IS-136/TDMA, iDen, LTE or any other suitable cellular network orprotocol), infrared, TCP/IP (e.g., any of the protocols used in each ofthe TCP/IP layers), other relatively localized wireless communicationprotocol, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, communicationsmay be conducted over combinations of wired and wireless paths. Asdescribed in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 5-7, I/C devices110 may communicate directly with switches 120 and controlled devices130 or indirectly via an intermediary device such as a Wi-Fi® router,for example. Communications components provided within I/C devices 110,switches 120, controlled devices 130, and bridges 160 may be referred toherein as “transceivers” regardless of the particular mode or modes ofcommunication used to implement the communications.

Switches 120 may be provided within network system 100 to sense userinput and translate the input into a control signal for implementationby one or more controlled devices 130. The control signal may betransmitted via a switch transceiver. The type of control signal(s)generated by a particular switch may depend on the controlled devices130 the switch is configured to control. In the simplest case, a switchmay be configured to toggle a state (e.g., turn on or off) of one ormore controlled devices 130. Thus, in some embodiments switches 120 mayinclude one or more wall-mounted light switches configured to turn oneor more lights on and off. Switches 120 may also include more complexswitches, such as light dimmers, fan controllers, thermostatcontrollers, appliance controllers, and/or entertainment systemcontrollers, for example. These more complex switches may utilizephysical control elements (e.g., dials, sliders, and/or buttons) and/orvirtual control elements (e.g., onscreen user interface elements) togenerate control signals directed to one or more particular controlleddevices 130.

In some embodiments, switches 120 may be powered by one or more powersources external to the structure's fixed, high-voltage electricalsystem, such as batteries, for example. Physically decoupling switches120 from the structure's electrical system may beneficially allow forthese physical components, which are often very difficult to move, to beplaced in any convenient locations throughout the structure.Furthermore, adding additional switches to network system 100 may simplyinvolve placing the additional switches within range of network system100 and configuring the additional switches to control one or morecontrolled devices 130.

It should be understood that existing switches already hardwired into astructure's existing electrical system may be configured to controlcontrolled devices 130 while continuing to be powered by the building'selectrical system. Such hardwired switches may be retrofit withtransceivers that facilitate communications between switches 120,controlled devices 130, bridges 160, and I/C devices 110. In theseembodiments, some minor re-wiring of controlled devices 130 and switches120 may be necessary to bypass the traditional hardwired switchingfunctionality and provide constant, non-switched power to the switch.

Controlled devices 130 may include two main components, a target deviceand an adaptor. As discussed above, the target device may be anysuitable electrical or electronic device capable of being controlled. Anadaptor may include various components for receiving and implementingcontrol signals generated by I/C devices 110 and/or switches 120. Forexample, an adaptor may include one or more of a transceiver forreceiving control and/or initialization signals from I/C devices 110and/or switches 120, a central processor, a memory, an antenna, a linepower switch and/or a dimming circuit, one or more sensors (e.g., heatsensors, motion sensors), and a control output interface forimplementing complex control commands (e.g., speed control, motioncontrol, or other complex commands).

Instructions may be stored in the adaptor's memory that define variousadaptor settings and behaviors. For example, the instructions may definewhich I/C devices 110 and/or switches 120 the adaptor should respond to,automated control schedules, and/or other behaviors. The instructionsmay be loaded into the adaptor's memory during an initializationprocess, as described in detail below with respect to FIGS. 5 and 9.

Bridge 160 can provide a remote interface to network system 100 toenable remote operation of the network's various network components. Inthis manner, network system 100 may be accessed and controlled even ifI/C devices 110 are out of range without the need for a centralcontroller. No central controller is necessary for remote control ofnetwork system 100 because bridge 160 can be configured as yet anothernetwork component, like switches 120 and controlled devices 130, forexample. Accordingly, bridge 160 can provide access to network system100 as a network component of the network, not as a gateway or centralaccess point.

Bridge 160 can, therefore, be a low-cost, simple device configured torelay messages between network system 100 and a remote server. Generallyspeaking, bridge 160 can: permit remote visibility, via a remote device,of the current status of the various configured network components evenwhile the remote device is out of range of network system 100; issuecommands to network system 100 via the remote server and bridge 160 tomonitor and/or change the status of one or more network components;and/or send a set of commands to a range of network components. Examplesof functions that might not be permitted when accessing network system100 via bridge 160 (e.g., to promote network security) may include:adding, deleting, or authenticating network components; updatingusernames, passwords, or security keys; obtaining MAC addresses ofnetwork components; and creating or modifying network component groupsor scenes. Scenes may generally be understood as pre-set controlsettings for one or more controlled devices 130 (e.g., turn on allkitchen lights and the coffee maker at 6 AM, dim all living room lightsat 8 PM, or preheat oven and turn on stereo at 5 PM).

Bridge 160 can include a transceiver that enables communications betweenevery other network using the protocol established for the network. Viathe transceiver, bridge 160 can have visibility to all of the networkcomponents of network 100 including, for example, the address of eachnetwork component and its functionalities (e.g., whether the componentis a switch or controlled device, which other components a particularcomponent controls or responds to, etc.). Additionally, bridge 160 maybe connected or connectable to a remote server via an outside network(e.g., the Internet) using a wired or wireless interface, such as one ormore of the interfaces listed above, for example.

A remote device may then connect to the remote server to gain access tonetwork system 100 via bridge 160. When the remote device connects tothe remote server, commands directed to network system 100 can berelayed through the remote server to the interface of bridge 160.Because bridge 160 is secured to network system 100 during theinitialization process, further security for bridge 160 may not berequired. The remote server can be secured against unauthorized accessusing authentication procedures known in the art (e.g., passwords,two-factor authentication, etc.). Bridge 160 may be configured toconnect to a router that facilitates communications to the remoteserver, which configuration may entail providing the bridge withsecurity credentials to log into the remote server.

Bridge 160 may further include a central processor and a memory forstoring instructions that can define its role in network system 100. Forexample, the instructions may define an interface for providing a remotedevice with access to the other network components of network system100. Accordingly, the memory may store a database containing therelationships between the various network components, such as whichswitches 120 are configured to control which controlled devices 130, forexample, and allow operation of switches 120 and controlled devices 130.The instructions may be loaded into the adaptor's memory during aninitialization process.

The interface can grant a remote device access to network system 100through bridge 160. In order to maintain security of the network,however, the functionality of interface may be limited only to accessinginformation that was previously defined during an initializationprocess. In this manner, a remote user may be permitted to connect tobridge 160 through the remote server and operate switches 120 and/orcontrolled devices 130 per the configuration data stored in the databaseof bridge 160. That is, while network components of network system canbe controlled remotely, a remote user may be prevented from altering theconfiguration of network system 100 using bridge 160. Because bridge 160can be configured during an initialization process by an account holderauthorized to configure the network and bridge 160 must be within rangeof the network to operate, it may not be necessary for the device tohave separate security access or to be granted security keys for thenetwork. Remote access to network system 100 may, therefore, bepermitted far more cheaply and easily than in systems that require acentral controller or another non-network component device to facilitateremote access.

In some embodiments, bridge 160 can include a transceiver (e.g., aBluetooth® transceiver) that facilitates communications with the othernetwork components of network system 100 and a communications interfaceto a separate device (e.g., a PC, tablet, or laptop computer) capable ofcommunications with the remote server via an outside network, such asthe Internet, for example. As one particular example, bridge 160 may beimplemented as a Universal Serial Bus (“USB”) “dongle” that can beconnected to an Internet-connected device, such as the family computer,for example. These embodiments advantageously permit bridge 160 to bemanufactured relatively cheaply because the connection to the remoteservice is facilitated using another network-connected device. However,in order to maintain access to the remote server, that network-connecteddevice must remain powered-on and connected to the outside network. Inanother example, bridge 160 may include a second transceiver (e.g., aBluetooth® transceiver) to facilitate communications with the separatedevice.

In an alternative implementation, bridge 160 can include both thetransceiver for communicating with the other network components as wellas the wired or wireless interface to the remote server via the outsidenetwork. Accordingly, remote access to network system 100 may not bedependent on the availability of a separate network-connected device. Asone example, bridge 160 may be a standalone device that communicateswith the other network components of network system 100 via a Bluetooth®transceiver and with the remote server via a Wi-Fi® connection or othersuitable wired or wireless network connection (e.g., an Ethernet, 3G, or4G LTE connection) to the Internet. In the event that bridge 160 iscapable of Wi-Fi® communications, I/C devices 110 may be used toconfigure the Wi-Fi® connection. For example, bridge 160 may recognize alist of available Wi-Fi® networks, provide that list to I/C devices 110(e.g., using the transceiver), and connect to a selected Wi-Fi® networkby receiving authentication information (e.g., a password) from I/Cdevices 110.

In still further implementations, an existing network component ofnetwork 100, such as one of one or more of switches 120 or adaptors 140(disclosed in detail below) or a generic gateway device, for example,may be configured to carry out the functionalities of bridge 160. Inthese embodiments, software or firmware may be installed on the existingnetwork component in order to provide an interface to grant a remotedevice access to control network system 100. The network component thatimplements the bridge functionality can then communicate, using eitherthe communications protocol of network system 100 or another suitablewired or wireless communications protocol (e.g., WiFi®) with a devicehaving a wired or wireless interface to the remote server via theoutside network, such as a generic gateway or router, for example.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of controlled device 130, in accordancewith some embodiments. Controlled device 130 may include target device132 coupled to adaptor 140 with one or more power/control lines 136(shown in more detail in FIG. 3). Adaptor 140 may include antenna 142,which may be responsible for transmitting and/or receiving signalswithin a network system (e.g., network system 100 of FIG. 1), andpower/control unit 144 for implementing control signals directed totarget device 132.

In some embodiments, antenna 142 and other low-voltage components ofadaptor 140, such as a processor and a memory, may be packagedseparately from the high-voltage components housed in power/control unit144. Packaging antenna 142 separately from the high-voltage componentsmay prevent signal degradation caused by RF interference generated bytarget device 132, power/control unit 144, power/control lines 136,and/or any other high-voltage components of controlled device 130.Furthermore, the high-voltage components may be located inside a fixture134 sized and shaped appropriately for target device 132. For example,in when the target device is a recessed light, fixture 134 may be a canthat may shield antenna 142, located outside of fixture 134, frominterference. Housing the high-voltage components of controlled device130 within fixture 134 may support electrical safety certifications,improved visual concealment, and convenience, for example.

Power/control unit 144 may include a central processor for implementingcontrol signals received at antenna 142. The central processor may beany suitable processing device, such as a microprocessor configured toperform operations based on execution of software and/or firmwareinstructions, or an ASIC that is configured to perform variousoperations, for example. Operations performed by the central processormay include retrieving data from and/or writing data to a memory ofpower/control unit 144. For example, during an initialization process,the central processor may receive instructions regarding one or more ofan address, which control signals to implement, and/or automaticallyimplemented scheduling instructions for controlled device 130. Duringoperation, the central processor may access the information stored inthe memory in order to implement control functions for target device132.

Adaptor 140 may retransmit signals received at antenna 142 to enable thenetwork system to operate as a peer-to-peer, many-to-many controlsystem. That is, besides merely implementing control signals received atantenna 142, adaptor 140 (as well as all other network components ofnetwork system 100) may also rebroadcast received control signals toother components (e.g., other switches, adaptors, and bridges) of thenetwork system. In this manner, the network system may operate usingrelatively short-range wireless signals, such as those used in theBluetooth® protocol.

Power/control unit 144 may include a physical circuit for implementingsimple power control functions for target device 132. For example, iftarget device 132 is a light, power/control unit 144 may include a linepower switch and/or a dimming circuit to facilitate on/off and dimmingcontrol of target device 132, respectively. For more complex targetdevices, power/control unit 144 may include a control output interfacefor implementing more complex control commands, such as changing color,fan speed, operating mode, etc. In some embodiments, power/control unit144 may be a generic controller capable of controlling many differenttypes of target devices. In other embodiments, however, a specializedpower/control unit 144 may be provided that specifically implements onlythe types of control functions available for the coupled target device132.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of adaptor 140, in accordance with someembodiments. As discussed above, central processor 145 and memory 146may be housed with antenna 142 separate and apart from power/controlunit 144. In other embodiments, however, central processor 145 and/ormemory 146 may be housed along with control circuitry in power/controlunit 144 in order to give the housing for antenna 142 a smaller formfactor.

Power and control signals for a target device (e.g., target device 132of FIG. 2) may be generated within power/control unit 144 and sent totarget device 132 via power/control lines 136. Power/control lines 136may include one or more control lines 136 a for carrying control signalsfrom power/control unit 144 to the target device, AC Line Out 136 b forcarrying AC power from power/control unit 144 to the target device, ACLine In 136 c for receiving AC power from the structure's fixedelectrical wiring system, and AC Common (Neutral) Line 136 d. Simpleon/off or dimming control may be implemented within power/control unit144 by varying the average power provided over AC Line Out 136 b. Morecomplex control commands may be generated by central processor 145carried over control lines 136 a to a control interface of the targetdevice. Any suitable number of individual control lines 136 a may beprovided to implement available control functionality of the targetdevice.

FIGS. 4A-4C show a side cross-sectional and front and back plan views,respectively, of an illustrative network switch 120, in accordance withsome embodiments. Switch 120 may include housing 122, input sensor 124,battery 126, and communications unit 128. Like adaptor 140, switch 120may be equipped with an antenna, which may be housed withincommunications unit 128, for transmitting, receiving, and/orretransmitting control signals to other components in a network system(e.g., network system 100 of FIG. 1).

In some modes of operation, switch 120 may generate control signals inthe first instance, such as in response to receiving user input at inputsensor 124. Input sensor 124 may be any type of device capable ofsensing user input, such as a single-pole switch, a double-pole switch,a multi-way switch, a touch-sensitive switch (e.g., a touch sensitivecapacitive or resistive sensor), a dimmer, a dial, or a slider, forexample. Input sensor 124 may also be embodied as a touch-sensitivedisplay screen with virtual interface elements (e.g., virtual buttons,sliders, dials, etc.) for providing control signals to other networkdevices, such as controlled devices 130. While control signals generatedby switch 120 may be addressed to particular adaptors 140 within networksystem 100, such signals may be broadcast to all other switches andadaptors in range. Those other switches and adaptors may then implementthe control signals, ignore the control signals, and/or retransmit thecontrol signals to further components of network system 100.

In other modes of operation, switch 120 may passively receive controlsignals generated by other components of network system 100 andretransmit the control signals to other switches 120 and adaptors 140 inrange. Thus, a control signal generated at a first component may,through initial transmission and subsequent retransmissions, reach everyother component in network system 100 even if network system 100 extendsbeyond the range of the wireless signals transmitted by any individualnetwork component.

In some embodiments, switch 120 may be controllable via anothercomponent of network system 100, such as I/C devices 110, a remotedevice (e.g., via bridge 160), and/or another switch, for example. Itmay be considerably more convenient for a user to control an individualswitch (e.g., using I/C devices 110) rather than controlling individualadaptors 140, especially if the switch is configured to control multiplecontrolled devices 130. Thus, in addition to merely generating andretransmitting control signals, switch 120 may also receive andimplement control signals received from other components of networksystem 100.

Switch 120 may be powered by a power source external to the structure'sfixed electrical wiring system, thus enabling switch 120 to be installedor moved easily, without engaging in costly and disruptive constructionactivity. The external power source may be a battery, such as battery126, for example.

It should be noted, however, that in some embodiments, pre-existingswitches already wired into a structure's fixed electrical wiring systemmay be retrofit with communications unit 128 to allow such switches tocommunicate with other components of network system 100. In theseembodiments, some minor rewiring of switch 120 and controlled devices130 may be required to modify the control mechanism used by switch 120to control corresponding controlled devices 130. For example, asingle-pole light switch may be rewired such that constant power flowsto communications unit 128 without the mechanical switching elementbeing enabled to open and close the circuit. Rather, the mechanicalswitching element may instead be configured to send a signal tocommunications unit 128 for transmission to the other network componentsof network system 100.

Communications unit 128 may include a central processor, a memory, and atransceiver. These components may be substantially similar in structureand functionality to the corresponding components of adaptor 140.However, given that switch 120 may lack the high-voltage components ofcontrolled device 130, the transceiver may be packaged with the otherswitch components without encountering adverse RF interference.

There are at least four key modes of the network system, methods, andprotocols disclosed herein: teaching, operating, remote, and commandforwarding modes. One or more of these key modes may be passwordprotected to prevent unauthorized access to the network system. FIG. 5shows a pictorial diagram of teaching mode 500. After establishing auser account, which may provide a user with access to configure andcontrol a network system (e.g., network system 100 of FIG. 1), the usermay initiate teaching mode 500.

In teaching mode 500, a user may, using a computer program installed onan I/C device (e.g., one of I/C devices 110 of FIG. 1, such as a desktopcomputer, laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone), define one or moredesired configurations of the network system and teach each component(e.g., I/C devices 110, switches 120, and controlled devices 130) of thenetwork system its role(s). Teaching mode 500 may utilizedevice-to-device communications sessions between an I/C device and thenetwork components to be configured via a Bluetooth® master/slavecommunications session or using a similar communications protocol.

To ensure that the correct network component is connected to the I/Cdevice and ready to be taught, each switch and adaptor in the networksystem may be provided with an indicator (e.g., a visible and/or anaudible signal) that can provide a user with confirmation that theproper network component is connected in the device-to-devicecommunications session. In some embodiments, exemplary visual signalsmay be output in the form of a blinking LED according to the followingspecifications:

Switch Specifications Service Blink Device Encryption IfClaimed—Password Level 1 encryption. If Unclaimed—No encryption.Pre-condition — Post-condition The LED or the device blinks thespecified number of times. Possible Characteristic Description ByteAccess values Blink_Device_Rq Times 0 WRITE 1 . . . 9

Teaching mode 500 may utilize the following Teach_IDs protocol in orderto establish the address of each switch of the network system:

TABLE 1 Teach Switch IDs Service Service Teach Switch IDs EncryptionPre-condition Has to be claimable (Location Id and Device Id equal to0). Post-condition The switch becomes claimed. Possible CharacteristicDescription Byte Access values Teach_Switch_Ids_Rq_P1 Location Id 0WRITE 0 . . . 255 Device Id 1 WRITE 0 . . . 255 Teach_Switch_ Password0-15 WRITE — Ids_Rq_P3 L1 (user) Teach_Switch_ Password 0-15 WRITEOptional Ids_Rq_P4 L2 (admin)

The Teach Switch IDs service can be used to add one or more switches(e.g., switches 120 of FIG. 1) to a network system. This service may beperformed on switches that are “unclaimed,” meaning that the switch isnot already configured as part of a network system. The switch mayassociated with the network system by writing the network system'saddress, referred to above as the Teach_Ids_Rq_P1 characteristic, intothe network component's memory. Subsequently the network component beingconfigured may be assigned a unique Device Id for addressing the switchwithin the network system. Device Ids may be assigned usingconsecutively, randomly, or otherwise assigned to each network componentas it is added to the network system. In some embodiments, the user maybe permitted to define manually the switch's Device Id, which may beuseful in circumstances in which the network system's control behavioris defined prior to the network components are configured.

Optionally, the network system may be configured with one or more levelsof password protection. In particular, one or more components of thenetwork system may be protected by an administrator (admin) password andone or more user passwords. While a user having the administratorpassword may be given full rights to define or alter all aspects of thenetwork system configuration, user's having only individual user rightsmay be more restricted. For example, the administrator may have theright to add and configure new network components, remove networkcomponents from the network system, reset network components, performnetwork system diagnostics, etc., while an individual user may only begiven the right to add or configure controlled device(s) that respond toa particular switch. Moreover, different users may be granted varyinglevels of rights to define or alter aspects of the network system. Userand/or administrator passwords may be supplied during the Teach SwitchIds service to ensure that the user performing the service has theproper credentials to take the desired action.

Once a switch is added, its role in the network system may be definedusing the following Teach Target protocol:

TABLE 2 Teach Target Service Service Teach Target Encryption PasswordLevel 1 encryption. Pre-condition Has to be a claimed device.Post-condition Target device/group id updated Possible CharacteristicDescription Byte Access values Teach_Target_Rq Controlled 0 WRITE 1 . .. 255 Device/ Group Id Type Flag 1 WRITE 0—Device Id 1—Group Id

The Teach Target service may be performed on any switch that has beenadded to, or claimed by, the network system (i.e., the Location ID forthe network component is properly defined for the network system. Inparticular, the Teach Target service may be used to define whichcontrolled device(s) a switch can control. Thus, during the Teach Targetservice, a user can define the Teach_Target_Rq characteristic as theDevice Id for a particular controlled device or as the Group Id assignedto a group of controlled devices. The Teach Target service can then seta Type Flag to resolve the proper address based upon whether the flagindicates that the address is a Device Id or a Group Id.

In some embodiments, the switches may be configured to receivegesture-based inputs. The following table shows a set of exemplarygestures for providing input to a switch (e.g., switch 120 of FIGS.4A-4C):

TABLE 3 Exemplary Switch Gesture Definitions Gesture MeaningOn/Off/Dimming mode Tap once Broadcast the reverse status message. If ONturn OFF y OFF turn ON. Tap once, slide up or down Broadcast the ONmessage and and untouch DIMMING value Tap twice Enter or exit colorpicker mode Color picker mode Tap, slide (x, y) and Broadcast RGB valuesuntouch Timeout of ‘n’ seconds Exit color picker mode

Accordingly, a user may initiate a device-to-device communicationssession between one of I/C devices 110 and each one of switches 120.During the communications sessions, and based upon the definedconfiguration(s), each of switches 120 may be assigned an address usedfor identification within the network system. Each of switches 120 mayalso be taught which other network components (e.g., I/C devices 110,bridge 160, and/or switches 120) to control based, for example, uponthose components' addresses within the network system. In someembodiments, switches 120 may be taught automatically scheduledbehaviors, such as time-based on/off switching behaviors, using similarservices.

Adaptor Specifications

Teaching mode 500 may utilize the following Teach_IDs protocol in orderto establish the address of each adaptor of the network system:

TABLE 4 Teach Adaptor Ids Service Service Teach Ids CharacteristicDescription Byte Access Adaptor_Teach_Ids_Rq Location Id 0 WRITE(Dynamic) Device Id 1 WRITE (Dynamic) Claim code 2-4 WRITE (Dynamic)Password 5-12 WRITE (Dynamic)

The Teach Adaptor IDs service can be used to add one or more adaptors(e.g., adaptors 140 of FIG. 2) to a network system. This service may beperformed on adaptors that are “unclaimed,” meaning that the adaptor isnot already configured as part of a network system. The adaptor mayassociated with the network system by writing the network system'saddress, referred to above as the Adaptor_Teach_Ids_Rq characteristic,into the network component's memory. Subsequently the network componentbeing configured may be assigned a unique Device Id for addressing theadaptor within the network system. As with assigning Device Ids forswitches, Device Ids for adaptors may be assigned using consecutively,randomly, or otherwise assigned to each network component as it is addedto the network system. In some embodiments, the user may be permitted todefine manually the adaptor's Device Id, which may be useful incircumstances in which the network system's control behavior is definedprior to the network components are configured.

In some embodiments, a claim code may be assigned to an adaptor usingthe Teach Adaptor Ids service. The claim code can be an identifier usedto identify the adaptor for removal from the network system.

As with switches, individual adaptors may be password protected. Theapplicable password may be saved in the adaptor's memory to authenticatea user attempting to access the network component.

In some embodiments, adaptors may be grouped together to allow forsituations where it is desired to have a single switch control multiplecontrolled devices (e.g., several lights in a single room). A similarservice may be performed on switches where it is desired to have one ormore controlled devices controlled by two or more switches (e.g., tooperate as a three-way switch).

TABLE 5 Teach Group Ids Service Service Teach Group Ids CharacteristicDescription Byte Access Adaptor_Teach_Group_Ids_Rq Position 0 WRITE(Dynamic) Group Id 1 WRITE (Dynamic)

In teaching mode 500, the Teach Group Ids service may be used toassociate an adaptor with a Group Id. Using the Teach_Ids_Rq_P2characteristic, the user may be able to define a Group Id for two ormore network components. In some embodiments, the Global Idcharacteristic may not exist, and several network components may begrouped together by populating the Device Id characteristic with ashared address.

Teaching mode 500 may also permit a user to define automatic behaviorfor each adaptor in the network system. Exemplary teachable behaviors,shown in the two tables below, may include setting the date and time andcontrolling adaptor behaviors, such as daily timing behavior, andwhether those timing behaviors differ whether the user is home or away,and control specifications, including on/off instructions, colorbalance, and dimming instructions, for example.

TABLE 6 Set Adaptor Time Service Service Teach Date Time CharacteristicDescription Byte Access Adaptor_Teach_Date_Time_Rq Year 0 WRITE(Dynamic) Month 1 WRITE (Dynamic) Day 2 WRITE (Dynamic) Hour 3 WRITE(Dynamic) Minute 4 WRITE (Dynamic) Seconds 5 WRITE (Dynamic)

TABLE 7 Teach Adaptor Schedule Service Teach Encrypted Service Schedulewith password. Characteristic Description Byte AccessAdaptor_Teach_Schedule_Rq Position 0 WRITE (Dynamic) Monday 1 [0] WRITE(Dynamic) Tuesday 1 [1] WRITE (Dynamic) Wednesday 1 [2] WRITE (Dynamic)Thursday 1 [3] WRITE (Dynamic) Friday 1 [4] WRITE (Dynamic) Saturday 1[5] WRITE (Dynamic) Sunday 1 [6] WRITE (Dynamic) Home (1)/ 1 [7] WRITEAway (0) (Dynamic) Hour 2 WRITE (Dynamic) Minute 3 WRITE (Dynamic) Red 4WRITE (Dynamic) Green 5 WRITE (Dynamic) Blue 6 WRITE (Dynamic) Dimming 7WRITE (Dynamic)

TABLE 8 Teach Home and Away Service Service Teach Home/AwayCharacteristic Description Byte Access Adaptor_Teach_Home_Away_Rq Home(1)/ 0 WRITE Away (0) (Dynamic)

Accordingly, a user may initiate a device-to-device communicationssession with each one of controlled devices 130. During thecommunications sessions, and based upon the defined configuration(s),each of controlled devices 130 may be assigned an address used foridentification within the network system. In some embodiments, each ofcontrolled devices 130 may also be taught which other network components(e.g., I/C devices 110, bridge 160, and/or switches 120) to respond tobased, for example, upon those components' addresses within the networksystem. Further, each of controlled devices 130 may be taughtautomatically scheduled behaviors, such as time-based on/off, colorbalance, and dimming behaviors.

In some embodiments, one or more desired configuration(s) for thenetwork system can be defined before any switches or controlled devicesare added to the network. For example, using an I/C device, a user mayestablish a network configuration by defining addresses and controlbehaviors for network components that are expected to become part of thenetwork system. Thus, if the user knows that the network system willinitially include 15 switches and 10 controlled devices, the user maydefine (1) an address for each switch and each controlled device, (2)for each controlled device, which switch or switches to respond to, and(3) for each switch, which controlled device or devices to control.Then, during a device-to-device communications session for a particularnetwork component, the I/C device can perform both the Teach Ids serviceand the Teach Target service contemporaneously without regard to whetherthe Device Id/Group Id for a controlled device has already beenestablished. Therefore, it may be possible to establish adevice-to-device communications session between an I/C device and eachother network component in the network system during which each networkcomponent is “taught” its address (e.g., via the Teach Ids service),which other network component(s) to control (e.g., via the Teach Targetservice), and various other behaviors, such as automatically scheduledcontrol behaviors.

A user may also initiate a device-to-device communications session witheach one or more bridges 160. During the communications sessions, andbased upon the defined configuration(s), each bridge 160 may be assignedan address used for identification within the network system. Bridge 160may also store a database containing the configuration of network system100, which may include, for example, a mapping between switches 120 tocontrolled devices 130.

During the teaching mode, additional I/C devices 110 may be configuredto control one or more network components. Each one of I/C devices 110may be permitted to control all or a subset of the network components inthe network system. In one particular example, a child with a smartphoneliving in the structure may be permitted to use the smartphone tocontrol the lights in his or her room, but may be restricted from usingthe smartphone to control household appliances like an oven, range,electric-car charger, dishwasher, or other critical system componentslike a furnace, sump pump, or water heater, for example.

FIG. 6 shows a pictorial diagram of operating mode 600, in accordancewith some embodiments. After teaching each network component its rolewithin the network system, the network system may enter operating mode600. Operating mode may be an autonomous state in which the switches andadaptors can communicate with each other with or without the presence ofan I/C device, a central controller, a Wi-Fi® network, or an Internetconnection. For example, switches 120 may generate and transmit controlsignals to adaptors 140 to turn on/off, dim, change speeds, adjustoperating priorities, or otherwise implement control functions ofcontrolled devices 130. It should be noted that while switches 120 andadaptors 140 may communicate without the presence of I/C devices 110,these devices may also capable of sending control signals to individualadaptors, groups of adaptors, individual switches, or groups ofswitches.

FIG. 7A shows a pictorial diagram of remote mode 700A, in accordancewith some embodiments. Remote mode 700A may represent an alternativeimplementation of teaching mode 500 and/or operating mode 600. In remotemode 700A, an Internet-connected device, such as a home router, forexample, may translate control signals received via the Internet orother source to wireless commands transmitted by a transmitter capableof generating control signals for switches 120 and adaptors 140. In thismanner, teaching mode 500 and operating mode 600 may be controlled froma remote location.

FIG. 7B shows a pictorial diagram of remote mode 700B, in accordancewith some embodiments. Remote mode 700B can provide a remote device(e.g., I/C device 110 or any other electronic device capable ofcommunicating with remote server 162) remote access to network system100 via remote server 162, an outside network, such as the Internet, andbridge 160. Bridge 160, which can be configured during teaching mode 500as a network component of network system 100, may be implemented as astandalone device with a transceiver for communicating with the othernetwork components of network system 100 and a wired or wirelessinterface to the outside network or as a “dongle”-type device that canconnect to the outside network via an intermediate network-connecteddevice, such as a PC, for example. In either case, I/C devices 110, orany other suitable network-connected device, can connect to bridge 160via remote server 162 in order to control the various network componentsof network system 100.

FIG. 8 shows a pictorial diagram of command forwarding mode 800, inaccordance with some embodiments. While in teaching mode 500, operatingmode 600, remote mode 700A, or remote mode 700B, switches 120 andadaptors 140 can forward control signals from one network component toanother by retransmitting control signals or other messages, enabling acommand to reach components that would otherwise be out of range ofdirect device-to-device communication. The forwarding may beaccomplished via simple rebroadcast of the message, obviating the needfor specific addressing of, or establishing a two-way communicationssession with, an individual switch 120 or adaptor 140.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process 900 for implementinga teaching mode of a network system, in accordance with someembodiments. Process 900 can begin at step 901 in which a network system(e.g., network system 100) is provided having network components thatinclude at least one I/C device (e.g., at least one of I/C devices 110of FIG. 1), at least one switch (e.g., at least one of switches 120 ofFIG. 1), and at least one controlled device (e.g., at least one ofcontrolled devices 130 of FIG. 1). The I/C devices may include any typeof computing device capable of communicating with the switch(es) andcontrolled device(s) using the protocols described herein or any othersuitable wired or wireless communications protocol. The switch(es) maybe configurable by the I/C device(s) to control the behavior of one ormore of the controlled device(s). The controlled device(s) may includeany suitable controllable device communicatively coupled to an adaptor(e.g., adaptor 140 of FIG. 2).

At step 903, the desired control behavior of the network components maybe defined. Defining the desired control behavior can includeestablishing a mapping between switches and adaptors to be added to thenetwork system. For example, using an I/C device, a user may establish anetwork configuration by defining at least one of; an address for eachswitch and each controlled device to be added to the network system; amapping of which switch or switches each adaptor respond to; and whichcontrolled device or devices each switch is to control. Step 903 isshown in dashed lines, indicating that this step is optional. Inparticular, in embodiments in which the desired control behavior for thenetwork system is not defined in advance of configuring the networkcomponents, process 900 may proceed directly from step 901 to step 905.

At step 905, each network component may be taught its address within thenetwork system during a master/slave communications session between thenetwork component and an I/C device. Teaching each network component itsaddress may include establishing a device-to-device communicationssession between an I/C device and each switch and adaptor in the networksystem, associating the network component with the Location Id of thenetwork system, and assigning the network component a unique address(e.g., using the Teach Switch IDs service and the Teach Adaptor IDsservice).

At step 907, each switch may be taught which controlled device(s) (i.e.,targets) to control. Step 907 may be conducted using the Teach Targetservice described above, for example. In some embodiments, adaptors mayalso be taught which switch(es)'s control signals to implement (e.g.,using a service similar to the Teach Target service that instructs anadaptor to implement controls from one or more switches). As noted abovewith respect to FIG. 5, the target may be defined as a single adaptor(i.e., via a Device ID) or to a group of adaptors (i.e., via a GroupID).

At step 909, each adaptor may be taught a Group ID. Adaptors may betaught a Group ID using the Teach Group Ids service described above, forexample. Step 909 is shown in dashed lines indicating that the step isoptional. For example, if no groups of controlled devices are defined,step 909 may be omitted.

At step 911, each adaptor may be taught one or more scheduled behaviors.Scheduled behaviors may be taught using one or more of the Set AdaptorTime, Teach Adaptor Schedule, and Teach Home/Away services describedabove. Step 909 is shown in dashed lines indicating that the step isoptional. For example, if no scheduled behaviors are to be defined, step909 may be omitted. In some embodiments, scheduled behaviors may betaught to one or more switches as well using services similar to thosedescribed above for scheduling adaptor behaviors.

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process 1000 for operatinga network system, in accordance with some embodiments. Process 1000 maybegin at step 1001, in which a network system having network components,including I/C devices, switches, and controlled devices (e.g., networksystem 100, I/C devices 110, switches 120, and controlled devices 130 ofFIG. 1), may be provided. In some embodiments, the network system may beconfigured using process 900 of FIG. 9.

At step 1003, a control signal may be broadcast to all networkcomponents of the network system. The control signal may be sent fromone of the switches or one of the I/C devices, for example, and may beaddressed to an adaptor of a controlled device (e.g., using a Device Id)or to a group of adaptors (e.g., using a Group Id). In some preferredembodiments, the control signal may be sent from a transceiver of theI/C device or switch using a short-range wireless communicationsprotocol, such as Bluetooth®, for example. In these embodiments, thecontrol signal may be received and retransmitted by each networkcomponent of the network system such that the control signal canpropagate to all network components the network system even if one ormore network components are initially out of the communications range ofthe I/C device or switch that originated the control signal. In thismanner, control of the network system may be effected without the needfor a central controller.

At step 1005, the control signal may be implemented by at least onecontrolled to which the control signal is addressed. In the event thatthe control signal is addressed to a single adaptor, the addressedadaptor can receive the control signal and implement the control signalvia its associated target device. On the other hand, if the controlsignal is addressed to a group of adaptors, each adaptor can receive andimplement the control signal via its associated target device.

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process 1100 forconfiguring a bridge, in accordance with some embodiments. At step 1101,a network component can receive configuration instructions to act as abridge for a network system. As described above with respect to FIG. 1,the bridge (e.g., bridge 160) may be an existing network component of anetwork system (e.g., switch 120 or adaptor 140 of network system 100),a dongle-type device that can communicate with a remote server through adevice connected to an outside network (e.g., a desktop computercommunicatively coupled to the Internet), or the bridge may be astand-alone component that can communicate both with other networkcomponents via the communications protocol of the network system and anoutside network via a separate communications interface (e.g., a WiFi®connection to a home router).

The initialization process for configuring the bridge may be similar tothe process used for initializing other network components of thenetwork system using an initialization/control device as describedabove. Accordingly, the bridge can have access to and send and receivecontrol signals to and from the other network components of the networksystem, which can allow a remote device communicatively coupled to thebridge to remotely control the network components. Additionally,however, the initialization process for the bridge may include receivingrequests at the bridge to scan for available connections to an outsidenetwork, and providing the bridge with any authentication credentialsthat may be required to access the outside network and/or a remoteserver. These additional steps may be implemented using aninitialization/control device, such as the initialization/control deviceused to configure the bridge as a network component of the networksystem.

At step 1103, the bridge can scan for an available connection to anoutside network. In embodiments in which the bridge is equipped with aWiFi® communications interface, the bridge may be assigned to a WiFi®endpoint able to scan for available WiFi® networks. Once the desiredWiFi® network is chosen, the bridge may receive authenticationcredentials, if necessary, to connect to the WiFi® network. Inembodiments in which the bridge is equipped with a wired connection,such as an Ethernet connection, connection to the outside network may beavailable without additional authentication. Similarly, if the bridge isembodied as a dongle-type device that communicates with another devicehaving an established connection to an outside network, the bridgedevice may not require any additional authentication to connect to thatoutside network, thereby only requiring configuration as a networkcomponent of the network system.

At step 1105, the bridge can connect to the remote server via theoutside network. The remote server may be a server operated by an entitythat provides one or more components of network system 100, such assoftware, firmware, and/or hardware, including switches 120, andadaptors 140, for example. The remote server may, in turn, be accessedby any electronic device with a communicative connection thereto andwith proper authentication credentials.

At step 1107, the bridge can communicate with a remote device via theoutside network and the remote server. Once a properly authenticatedremote device connects to the remote server, the bridge may provide theremote device (through the remote server) an interface that may presentthe status of various network components of the network system andfacilitate operation of one or more of the network components. In turn,the remote device can display the interface and receive commands to bepassed via the remote server to the bridge device for operating one ormore of the network components of the network system.

According to some embodiments, network components within network system100 may communicate with one another using a novel communicationsprotocol. The protocol may incorporate, be built on top of, or otherwiseutilize components of the standard Bluetooth® protocol. Using at least aportion of the Bluetooth® protocol to implement communications betweencomponents of network system 100 may be advantageous as devices alreadyequipped with Bluetooth® transceivers (e.g., I/C devices 110) areubiquitous, and individual Bluetooth® transceivers for use in switches120 and adaptors 140 are inexpensive and widely available.

Device-to-device communications may use different Bluetooth®communications modes depending on the current mode of operation. Inteaching mode 500, for example, an I/C device 110 may initiate amaster/slave communications session with each switch 120 and adaptor 140in turn in order to “teach” each component its role within networksystem 100.

Once each component is taught, implementation commands (e.g., controlsignals) may be communicated using Bluetooth® broadcast messages in apeer-to-peer configuration. Thus, while each network component mayreceive every message, a particular component may only listen to andimplement those messages addressed to it. Using Bluetooth® broadcastmessages to carry messages between components in network system 100,complex emergent behavior may be achieved without the need for a centralcontroller of the network system. Furthermore, specific device-to-devicemessages are not necessary once the network components have been taughttheir respective roles.

The broadcast messages can be sent very quickly, allowing nearinstantaneous command transmission even across multiple devices. Stillfurther, since all elements are peers in the network any number ofdevices can act as switches and adaptors. Their role in the network maybe defined by the role they are taught rather than their inherentdesign. This method may enable high performance many-to-many networkingwhile working within the current Bluetooth® specification without unduewasted network traffic that could cause interference or shorten batterylife.

Details regarding an exemplary embodiment of the novel protocol of thisdisclosure may be found in Appendices 1-3.

FIG. 12 shows a high-level schematic diagram for providing a softwaresynchronous clock, in accordance with some embodiments. The softwaresynchronous clock may take an AC power line signal 1236 as an input andgenerate clock output 1260 for use by power/control unit 1244. TheUnited States uses a frequency of 60 Hz to generate electric power fordistribution to residential and commercial customers. This 60 Hz signalcan be received at power/control unit 1244 and converted, using softwareinstalled on the unit, into clock output 1260. Power/control unit 144can then use clock output 1260 for timing sensitive applications, suchas implementing automatic schedules.

FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of an illustrative process 1300 for providinga software synchronous clock, in accordance with some embodiments.Process 1300 may begin at step 1301, in which a power/control unit(e.g., power/control unit 144 of FIG. 2 or power/control unit 1244 ofFIG. 12) may be coupled to one or more power control lines (e.g.,power/control lines 136 of FIG. 2).

At step 1303, the power/control unit can receive an AC power signal overthe one or more power/control lines. The AC signal may operate at the USstandard 60 Hz or any other suitable electric power distributionfrequency.

At step 1305, the power/control unit can count the number of AC cycles.For instance, one or more software or firmware implemented counters maybe incremented each time a peak (or any other regularly-occurringportion) of the AC signal is detected. Each counter may be used to keeptime for a different purpose (e.g., automatically turning on/off a lightcontrolled by the power/control unit, flashing such a light at a definedinterval, or performing more complex timed control functions for complexappliances such as thermostats).

At step 1307, the power/control unit can generate a software synchronousclock output based on the counted AC cycles. In some embodiments, theclock output may be (or include) a real-time clock that can bereferenced by the power/control unit for complex timing applications. Inother embodiments, the power/control unit may simply reference one ormore of the counters to determine the amount of time elapsed between tworeference points. Thus, if a light controlled by the power/control unitis set to automatically turn off after a defined period of time, oncethe counter reaches a value associated with the period of time, thelight can turn off. Time and number of AC cycles may be related by thefollowing equation:

$\begin{matrix}{{Time_{elapsed}} = \frac{\pounds\mspace{11mu}{AC}\mspace{14mu}{Cycles}\mspace{14mu}{Counted}}{{Frequency}\mspace{14mu}{of}\mspace{14mu}{AC}\mspace{14mu}{Signal}}} & (1)\end{matrix}$

Current thermostats are limited in their accuracy by the fact that theyonly measure the temperature, occupancy, or humidity in a single room ata time. This situation often leads to over or under cooling or heating,wasting energy, and/or generally reducing comfort. Using a peer-to-peer,many-to-many control system, such as the systems disclosed above,heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems may bedesigned that permit the measurement of a multitude of HVAC relatedvariables in each room of a structure.

FIG. 14 depicts a schematic diagram of network system 200 for improvingthe comfort and efficiency of a HVAC system, in accordance with someembodiments. Network system 200 can include I/C devices 210, sensors220, cooling devices 230, central cooling device 232, heating devices240, central heating device 242, and thermostats 250. Each component ofnetwork system 200 may include a transceiver for communicating with theother components in a peer-to-peer, many-to-many control system muchlike network system 100 described above. Accordingly, once eachcomponent of network system 200 is configured, such as by using aninitialization process like teaching mode 500 disclosed above, forexample, the components can communicate with one another without theneed for a central controller.

I/C devices 210 may be similar in many respects to I/C devices 110 ofFIG. 1. Thus, I/C devices 210 may be used to configure all of thecomponents of network system 200, control all or a subset of the varioussystem components as appropriate for the type of components or devicespresent in network system 200.

Sensors 220 may be provided within network system 200 to sense one ormore environmental variables in their vicinities. For instance, sensors220 may sense one or more of: temperature, humidity, atmosphericpressure, occupancy, light, air flow, air quality, and noise level usingsensing technology known in the art. By virtue of being a component ofnetwork system 200, data sensed at sensors 220 may be made almostinstantaneously available to each component of network system 200. Thus,all I/C devices 210, sensors 220, HVAC components 230, 232, 240, and 242may have access to instantaneous and historical data collected bysensors 220 and shared over network system 200. Sensors 220 may be addedto network 220 using the straightforward initialization processdescribed above, so it can be trivial to drastically improve the range,type, accuracy, and granularity of environmental readings collected foruse in controlling the HVAC system of a building especially over singlethermostat (or single thermostat per zone) based HVAC systems.Individual HVAC components 230, 232, 240, and 242 may be individuallycontrolled based on data collected from sensors 220 to more accuratelycontrol the correct temperature setting to maximize comfort, minimizeenergy consumption, or a combination of the two.

While system 200 is directed particularly to HVAC systems, it should beunderstood that the systems, methods, and protocols described herein maybe adapted for use in any suitable type of telemetry application. Forexample, motion sensors, intrusion sensors, and/or cameras may beprovided throughout a structure for use in an alarm system. Each sensormay be configured (e.g., using teaching mode 500 described above) tocommunicate with each other sensor as well as with controlled devices,such as an alarm klaxon, a cellular or telephone based notificationsystem (e.g., to alert a user or a third party like a police departmentor monitoring company), and/or an I/C device, for example.

In another example, temperature sensors may be placed upon pipes thatare prone to freezing such that signals may be sent, via the networkcomponents of the network system, to an adaptor that can control theflow of water through a pipe that is approaching the freezing point.

It should be understood that sensors of all different types may beconfigured as part of a single network system. Thus, network system 100and network system 200 may be configured as a single network system forcontrol of controlled devices and for HVAC control. Any other sensorsand controlled devices may be added to such a combined system at anytime using, for example, teaching mode 500.

Network system 200 can include a variety of HVAC components, includinglocal cooling devices 230 (e.g., free-standing, window mounted, or wallmounted, and mini-split air conditioning units), central cooling devices232 (e.g., ducted air conditioners), local heating devices 240 (e.g.,electric, natural gas, propane, oil, or wood pellet space heaters), andcentral heating devices 242 (e.g., a furnace with a forced hot air,water circulating, or steam circulating heat distribution system). EachHVAC component may include, or otherwise be communicatively coupled to,a transceiver that facilitates communications with I/C devices 210,sensors 220, the other HVAC components, and/or thermostat 250. In someembodiments, sensors 220 may be configured to exercise thermostaticcontrol over particular HVAC components, or groups thereof, in order tooptimize comfort and efficiency throughout the network. By analogy tonetwork system 100, sensors 220 may be similar to switches 120 in thatthey sense an external input and send control signals to another networkcomponent, and HVAC components 230, 232, 240, and 242 may be similar tocontrolled devices 130 in that they can receive and implement controlsignals and provided by another network component (e.g., using anadaptor, such as adaptor 140, or with an integrally provided transceiverand power/control modules).

Even in networks with central air conditioning and central heating, itmay be advantageous to supplement the HVAC system with local heating andcooling devices to improve efficiency of the system and/or to bettercontrol the comfort level throughout the structure. For example, if oneroom in a house is particularly drafty, a local heating device may beplaced in that room to maximize comfort throughout the entire dwellingso that the central heating unit is not required to overheat the rest ofthe house in order to maintain a comfortable temperature in the draftyroom. Practically speaking, every room (or even portions of rooms) in abuilding may have its own peculiar micro-climate, and efficiency andcomfort may be maximized by understanding those peculiarities andproviding and controlling HVAC components individually.

Network system 200 is depicted as having central cooling device 232 andcentral heating device 242 as well as a local cooling device 230, alocal heating device 240, and a sensor 220 in each room. While such asystem may provide extremely accurate heating and cooling for each room,such an overabundance of equipment may be costly, obtrusive, and/orunnecessary from a climate control perspective. Thus, in accordance withsome embodiments, sensors 220 may provide data to help determine wheresupplemental heating and cooling devices (i.e., local cooling devices230 and local heating devices 240) should be placed to maximize comfortand efficiency, including up front equipment costs and energy costsassociated with various types of HVAC components. Sensors 220 may alsohelp to determine, for a building without central cooling device 232 orcentral heating device 242, whether the installation of such a systemmay be part of an efficient HVAC solution for the building.

In an illustrative example, a house incorporating network system 200 mayinitially be equipped with central cooling device 232 (e.g., a ductedcentral air conditioning system), central heating device 242 (e.g., aforced hot air heating system), and thermostat 250, which may be atraditional set point based HVAC control device that sends signals toturn on or turn of central cooling device 232 and/or central heatingdevice 242. Sensors 220 may be configured during an initializationprocess in one or more rooms of the house to determine the variousmicroenvironments currently in existence. Data from sensors 220 can beshared among sensors 220 and thermostat 250 to provide more accuratetemperature adjustment than may be possible using thermostat 250 alone.With several sensors 220 placed throughout a house, it may be possibleto provide better direction to thermostat 250 than relying on thethermostat alone. Thus, the problem of overheating or overcooling anentire house (or entire zones of a house) based on a single temperaturemeasurement taken at the thermostat can be avoided.

Thermostat 250 may, therefore, operate based upon: the input from aparticular sensor (e.g., a sensor in a main living area) at all times;the input from various individual sensors at different times (e.g., asensor in a main living area during the day and in a bedroom at night);or on a combination of one or more of the sensors in the network (e.g.,an average of the temperatures read by each sensor in the network or adefined subset of the sensors in the network). Implementation of theseoperational modes may depend on the capabilities of thermostat 250. Forinstance, if thermostat 250 is a conventional mechanical or electronicthermostat, input from sensors 220 may result in an adjustment to theset point of thermostat 250. On the other hand, thermostat 250 may usethe various temperature readings from sensors 220 as an inputtemperature to be compared against a defined set point or set points.

Furthermore, network system 200 can sense disparities between varioussensors 220 as the house is heated and cooled using central coolingdevice 232 and central heating device 242. Based on the data collected,a processor can determine whether efficiency and/or comfort may beoptimized by adding a local cooling or heating device to one or morerooms of the house. The processor may be extent in one of the componentsof network system 200, such as one of I/C devices 210, for example, orin a remote server accessible to network system 200. For example,analysis of the data provided from sensors 220 may indicate that one ofthe bedrooms in the house is much colder than the rest of the houseduring the winter months. Optimization of the HVAC system may,therefore, call for a local heating device to be placed in that roomthat can be controlled individually to make that room comfortable whileavoiding overheating the rest of the house.

Analyzing the data provided by sensors 220 to determine whether one ormore local heating or cooling devices should be supplied to optimizecomfort and efficiency in the building served by network system 200 mayinclude, for example: determining the difference between the temperaturereading for each sensor 220 in network system 200 and the other sensors(e.g., with reference to the average and/or median temperature sensed byall sensors 220 or the balance of the sensors) in network system 200over a wide range of temperatures; comparing the humidity detected byeach sensor 220 with the other sensors in network system 200;calculating the necessary power ratings for a local heating and/orcooling devices that may be used to supplement central cooling device232 and central heating device 242; calculating the return-on-investment(“ROI”) for supplementing central cooling device 232 and central heatingdevice 242 with suggested local heating and cooling devices based atleast on the up-front cost of the suggested local heating and coolingdevices, their projected energy usage costs, and the cost associatedwith overheating or overcooling to compensate for particularly hot orcold rooms.

In some embodiments, it may be possible to adjust the output of centralcooling device 232 and/or central heating device 242 at various pointsthroughout network system 200 without the addition of local heating orcooling devices. For instance, vents in communication with ducts ofcentral cooling device 232 and/or central heating device 242 may beindividually controllable to adjust the delivery of conditioned air toparticular areas of the house. If each vent is equipped with an adaptor,such as adaptor 140 of FIG. 1, for example, configured to receivecontrol signals from the other network, the vents may opened or closedas necessary to achieve better localized control of the climatethroughout the building served by network system 200.

It should be understood that while the example provided above involved anetwork having central heating and cooling devices, similar climatecontrol may be implemented using a network having only local heating andcooling devices.

During operation of network system 200, the network components can worktogether to efficiently provide HVAC control to the entire building.HVAC control may be exercised a number of ways depending on thecomponents available in network system 200, including: (1) communicatinga new set point to thermostat 250; (2) communicating with a remoteserver-based interface to an energy control system connected to networksystem 200 via a wireless or wired outside network connection; (3)communication directly to the control panel of central cooling device232 and/or central heating device 242; and (4) communication directly toone or more local cooling devices 230 and/or local heating devices 240.Accordingly, network system 200 may have the ability to managewhole-house comfort without or in conjunction with a central heating orair conditioning system, and even without traditional thermostaticcontrol for heating and cooling.

While there have been described networking systems, protocols, andmethods for controlling target devices, it is to be understood that manychanges may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention. Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matteras viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, no known or laterdevised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within thescope of the claims Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later knownto one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scopeof the defined elements. The described embodiments of the invention arepresented for the purpose of illustration and not of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A network system, comprising: a plurality ofnetwork components, including at least one switch and at least oneadaptor, each network component comprising: a transceiver configured tosend and receive control signals via a short-range wirelesscommunications protocol; a memory storing a Device Id; and a centralprocessor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; andat least one target device communicatively coupled to each adaptor ofthe at least one adaptor, wherein a control signal broadcast from aswitch is received by each network component within range of the switchvia the short-range wireless communications protocol and rebroadcastuntil the control signal has reached each network component of thenetwork system.
 2. The network system of claim 1, each adaptor furthercomprising a power/control module communicatively coupled between thetransceiver and a corresponding target device configured: receive acontrol signal from the transceiver; and implement the control signal onthe target device.
 3. The network system of claim 2, the control signalcomprising a target address corresponding to the Device Id of anadaptor.
 4. The network system of claim 2, the control signal comprisinga target address corresponding to a Group Id, wherein the Group Idcorresponds to a plurality of adaptors.
 5. The network system of claim1, the plurality of network components further comprising aninitialization/control (“I/C”) device, the initialization/control devicecomprising: a transceiver configured to send and receive control signalsvia the short-range wireless communications protocol; a memory storing aDevice Id; and a central processor configured to execute instructionsstored in the memory.
 6. The network system of claim 5, the I/C deviceconfigured to broadcast a control signal comprising one of a Device Idand a Group Id to each network component of the network system.
 7. Thenetwork system of claim 1, the plurality of network components furthercomprising a bridge, the bridge comprising: a transceiver configured tosend and receive control signals via the short-range wirelesscommunications protocol; a memory storing a Device Id; and a centralprocessor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory; and anetwork interface facilitating connectivity to a remote server via anoutside network.
 8. The network system of claim 7, wherein the bridge isconfigured to: receive a control signal from the remote server via theoutside network; and broadcast, using the transceiver, the controlsignal to the other network components.
 9. A method for configuring anetwork system comprising a plurality of network components, includingat least one initialization/configuration (“I/C”) device, at least oneswitch, and at least one adaptor, each network component comprising atransceiver configured to send and receive control signals via ashort-range wireless communications protocol, a memory, and a centralprocessor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory, themethod comprising, using an I/C device in a master/slave communicationssession over the short-range wireless communications protocol: teachingeach network component its address within the network system; teachingeach switch which network components to control.
 10. The method of claim9, wherein assigning each network component an address comprises:associating each network component with a Location Id associated withthe network system; and assigning each network component a Device Id foraddressing within the network system.
 11. The method of claim 9, whereinteaching each switch comprises: writing an address corresponding to atleast one adaptor into each switch's memory.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the address corresponds to one of a Device Id of a particularadaptor and a Group Id assigned to a plurality adaptors.
 13. The methodof claim 12, further comprising: setting a type flag to resolve theproper address based upon whether the type flag indicates that theaddress is a Device Id or a Group Id.
 14. The method of claim 9, furthercomprising: defining control behavior for each network component priorto teaching each network component its address within the networksystem.
 15. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an I/Cdevice in a master/slave communications session over the short-rangewireless communications protocol: teaching at least one adaptor a GroupId.
 16. The method of claim 9, further comprising using an I/C device ina master/slave communications session over the short-range wirelesscommunications protocol: teaching each adaptor scheduled behavior.
 17. Amethod for operating a network system, the method comprising: providinga plurality of network components, the network components comprising atleast one switch and at least one adaptor, each adaptor communicativelycoupled to a target device; broadcasting, from a switch via ashort-range wireless communications protocol, a control signal addressedto at least one adaptor; and implementing the control signal with the atleast one adaptor to which the control signal was addressed.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising: providing at least oneinitialization/control (“I/C”) device; broadcasting, from an I/C device,a control signal addressed to at least one adaptor; and implementing thecontrol signal with the at least one adaptor to which the control signalwas addressed.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receivingthe control signal at network components within range of the switch; andrebroadcasting the control signal until each network component of thenetwork system has received the control signal.
 20. The method of claim17, further comprising: providing a bridge device having a networkinterface to a remote server via an outside network; and receiving atthe bridge device, from the remote server, a control signal addressed toat least one adaptor.